I was upset by this, not only because I loved my grandmother and didn’t want to see her die, but also because, for various reasons, I was worried about her salvation. Knowing, however, about the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the great promise that the Lord gave to St. Faustina (He promises in Diary, 1541 to “stand between the dying person and His Father, not as the just judge, but as the merciful Savior” if the Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed at their bedside), I had hope. Long story short, I was able to literally be present at the bedside of my grandmother praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy when she passed from time into eternity. It was an incredibly sacred moment, and was a hopeful sign to me that my grandmother departed this world filled with the Lord’s saving grace. Moved by this experience, I carried this practice with me into my ministry as a priest. When I was first ordained, I remember visiting this one woman in the hospital who was dying from liver failure. I asked her if she wanted Confession and she said no. I invited her to pray the Chaplet, and when we finished, she was open to receiving that Sacrament. During my recent 5 1/2 years of service at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Parish in Darien, Illinois, I would incorporate the praying of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy when I would go and anoint someone in hospice care. Now, during my work as “Fr. Joseph, MIC,” I have maintained this practice of praying the Chaplet for the dying by leading a livestreamed Divine Mercy Chaplet for the dying at 3 p.m. EST each Friday. (You can participate in this on our Facebook or Instagram pages [Divine Mercy (official)], DivineMercyPlus.org, or by going to our Divine Mercy app). What I like about praying the Chaplet for the dying is the hope that it can bring to a dying soul. Saint Faustina recounts many stories of souls in great torment, even surrounded by demons, on their deathbed. But when she prays the Chaplet for them, the torment vanishes, and peace is given to the souls. This peace is a hopeful sign that the soul has — in their last moments — repented of their sins and turned back to the Lord and His offer of mercy. Filled with His grace, they can then die a happy death in the hope of attaining eternal life. But the Divine Mercy Chaplet isn’t just meant to bring hope to dying souls; it is also meant to bring hope to any situation where human misery needs to encounter God’s merciful help. My dear Marian Helpers, as we come to the end of another year and begin a new one, I would like to challenge you to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day. I know many of you do. But if you do not, I would like to encourage you to make this a part of your prayer routine. It only takes about 7 minutes of your time. But in that short time, it will be one of the most powerful ways that you can maybe help to bring salvation to a dying soul, conversion to a hardened sinner, and peace to a world that is so longing for it. And, lastly, I would love it if you could share with us the stories of the graces you receive or even have already received as a result of praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet! You can email them to [email protected], including your name, the best way to contact you, and your testimony of God’s merciful grace. Praying the Chaplet is a fruitful way to counteract the evil of our times. Let’s pray it together “in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” God bless you. I joined the Marians in the summer of 1998. As my first year — known in religious life as postulancy — was coming to an end, I got the news that my grandmother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Father Joseph Writes Marian Helper • Winter 2025-26 • Marian.org 3 CHAPLET CHALLENGE “Father Joseph, MIC,” is the honorary title of the director of the Association of Marian Helpers, currently Fr. Mark Baron, MIC. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet live with Fr. Mark every Friday at 3 p.m. ET on Instagram, Facebook, and DivineMercyPlus.org.
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